Chapter 2
Chapter 2 is the 2nd chapter of Love So Life. Summary Chapter two begins with a flashback, where Shiharu's mother gave her a strawberry mirror compact. Then 16 year old Shiharu is arriving at the Matsunaga house, where Aoi and Akane are playing in a kiddie pool with a water hose. Right after Aoi accidentally sprays Matsunaga with the hose and apologizes, Matsunaga starts to give something to Shiharu when two next door neighbors drop by. After a brief misunderstanding about why Matsunaga has a pretty young girl at his house, Shiharu meets Takeru Miyagawa and his little sister Mana, who is very close in age to the twins. Next Shiharu has taken the twins to a local park to play. It's a park where Shiharu used to play when she was younger. While they are taking a break, Akane sees Shiharu's strawberry mirror, which is now broken. Shiharu recalls that it was broken at the very park they are visiting. Another little girl had taken it from her and threw it in the garbage, saying that it was out of fashion. The mirror was very precious to Shiharu since her mother had given it to her (and her mother had already passed away), so Shiharu was very hurt and upset. After a brief scuffle the other little girl runs to her mom, who tells Shiharu that HER daughter would never cause trouble, and that she isn't to play with Shiharu anymore. Shiharu is broken from her reverie by Aoi, who is giving her a flower - that he picked from park landscaping. Shiharu tells the twins not to pick the park flowers, because it hurts them (causing a massive guilt attack and apology from Aoi.) They then head home, where they find Matsunaga passed out on the floor as usual. Shiharu wakes him up, then asks about the flowers he has. He says that they were at the studio and were going to be thrown away, so he brought them home. Matsunaga starts to tell Shiharu that he he has something to give her, but before he can tell her what it is, Aoi comes out into the hall and sees the flowers - and flips out. He is horrified that the flowers were picked and must be hurting. Matsunaga tries to give a logical explanation about why we can't pick the park flowers but getting them from the florist is okay. The explanation goes completely over his head, so Shiharu tells Aoi that the florist has stronger flowers, so they don't get hurt. He's happy with that explanation (although Matsunaga doesn't understand why his explanation wasn't enough.) Later Shiharu is reading a bedtime story to the twins, and her voice manages to make them and Matsunaga all fall asleep. Shiharu notices that he has fallen asleep and tries to take off his glasses for him. He wakes suddenly and grabs her, pulls her into his lap and yells "go to sleep!" He's horrified when he realizes what he did, but Shiharu laughs it off saying of course he would be startled if someone suddenly touched him. He explains that he was dreaming (that the twins wouldn't ever go to sleep.) Shiahru leaves since the twins are sleeping. Matsunaga asks himself what is he doing. As Shiharu rides away, she reflects that even slender men are pretty heavy. The next day, Takeru is leaving Mana with Matsunaga to play with the twins while he runs errands. A the children play in the pool, Matsunaga reflects that he still hasn't given "it" to Shiharu yet. He also wonders if it's a bad idea to give it to her. Meanwhile, Mana pops of the head of Akane's doll, and Aoi bites her in revenge. As Mana cries and Akane is in shock, Matsunaga (who didn't see Mana break the doll) scolds Aoi for biting. Just then, Shiharu and Takeru show up. Aoi runs away crying for his mama, and Shiharu follows. She sees how upset Aoi is, and it reminds her of how she would get upset when people were mad at her, and how she missed her mom when that happened - someone who would love her unconditionally. She tells Aoi that she loves him lots, that he's a nice boy who wouldn't hurt the flowers, and she knows he wouldn't bite his friends fro no reason. Aoi cries and clings to Shiharu. They go back to the house, where Matunaga apologizes to Aoi for not listening to his explanation. (Mana confessed what she did.) The doll has been fixed and peace is restored. Then Matsunaga has to go, but before he does, he gives Shiharu a key to the house. She is shocked and says they can't give that to an outsider, but Matsunaga tells her that she is is an important existence to them all. Shiharu is thrilled, locking and unlocking the door, and Matsunaga realizes that it's the first time she has ever had a key. It is precious to her, just like the strawberry mirror. Characters in Order of Appearance *Shiharu Nakamura *Ms. Nakamura (flashback) *Aoi Matsunaga *Akane Matsunaga *Seiji Matsunaga *Takeru Miyagawa *Mana Miyagawa Navigation Category:Chapter